Process of treating milk



pnirnn snares arena @EFWE.

HILLI-IOUSE'BUEL, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

PROCESS OF TREATING- MILK,

No Drawing.

To-all whom z'tmay concern."

Be it; known that I, HILLHOUSE BUEL, a

citizen of the United States, and resident ofthe city of Seattle,countyof King, State of lVashington, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Processes of Treating Milk, of-which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to processes of treating milk, to free it'ofobjectionable qualities and then to impart thereto desirable qualities.Briefly stated the-processconsists first beneficial character, adaptedto act thereon in whatmay be called a pasteurization step, and then afollowing step by which desirable qualities and properties are impartedto themilk.

The object of my invention is to make of milk a-foodproduct, which mayalways be depended upon as being thoroughly safe and free from diseasegerms, and one pose sessing certain standard qualities of reliablyconstant character, capable of variation at will to suit desired ornecessary require,- ments, and also to impart to themilk certainconditions and qualities, which make it more stable and resistant todeterioration andobjectionable changes, and also to impart qualities offlavor, digesti' thereto desirable bility and thelike. I

This process involves two steps, unlike in character and purpose,,butboth necessary to produce the desired result, and fol lowing each otherin proper sequence.

The first step is the destroying of the objectionable germs or bacteria,etc., and the second the implanting therein of bacteria of to producetherein the desired qualities and results. 7 j

The bacteriological purification of milk by pasteurization and likeprocesses. is known to produce a product which is substantially.

free from germs of disease, ferments, etc.,

but one which still contains putrefying, de.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 3, 1916. Serialnofssase.

Patented Jan. e; 1920..

beneficial bacteria, and these have more or less of a restraining orcounteractinginfluence upon each other. Pasteurization and analogousprocesses, have been found to kill certain beneficialv bacteria moreeifectively than they do certain of the injurious bacterla. r

I have discovered that milk, after being subjected to a heat treatment,at such temperatures andfor such periods of time as produce resultsshort of absolute .sterilizat1on,'will, when inoculated by implantationtherein, with true, selected, viable cultures of the lactic acid group,have the properties of activating the preserving elements of such milk,of substantially destroying, re-

tarding or inhibiting growth or develop- -ment of most pathogenic,putrefactive, disease producing and .other objectionable germs.

I have also discovered that such inoculatlve treatment materlallymodifies and controls the palatability, digestibility and flavor of themilk. Also that by proper choice of the type of bacilli used for suchinoculation, different results in:palata bility, flavor, digestibility,and safety producingqualities may be secured, and that these differentresults may be predetermined,

The type of bacteria to be employed for implantation in the pasteurizedmilk, is that belonging to what is known as the lactic acid group.Different members of this group produce dlfl'erent results.

By experiment and observation, I determine the results produced bydifferent members of this group, produce and cultivate pure culturesthereof, and then employ for implantation such indi- "vidual types asare best adapted to produce the desired results.

Such treated milk acquires a flavor and palatability, which is pleasant,a digestibility which is desirable and beneficial, and keeping qualitiesfar superior to milk which is simply pasteurized. By such treatment milkis made safer for consumption, particularly as food for infants, and itmay also be modified to suit the requirements of different stomachs. Bythis process oftreatment of milk, is met and overcome the objections ofphysicians to the use as food, particularly for infants, of milk treatedby pasteurization and like processes, and of raw and certified milk, andparticularly where the source of supply is far removed from the point ofconsumption.

milk per unit of volume, may vary.

The character of the inoculation used in the number of bacteria'implanted in the I have found to be a satisfactory bacterial content inthe milk after inoculation, may

range from .500 to 10,000 bacteria per 0. c. A low bacterial count maybe undesirable, for the reason that it would favor the too greatdevelopment of the pathogenic or .putrefactive bacteria, including thoseof the colon bacillus, butyric bacillus, the sporating bacteria, and thepeptpnizing group, while a higher strength of'inoculation might, underordinary temperatures of keeping the milk,

produce a greater per cent. of acidity, accel crating toan undesirableextent the sourmg. .of' the milk for normal consumption,

What Iclaim as my invention is: 1.' The process of treating lactealfluid consisting in giving it treatment to destroy the germs therein,implanting a viable culture ofthe lactic acid group therein to producevabacterial content to the desired count per 0. c. and suflicient toinhibit the growth ofundesirable bacteria Without af-- fecting its sweetquality, and thereupon placing the fluid under conditions to inhibitfurther bacterial growth of fermentation.-

2. The process of treating lacteal fluid consisting in giving ittreatment to destroy the germs therein, implanting a viable culture ofthe lactic acid group therein to produce a bacterialfcontentto thedesired count per 0. c. and suificient to restore to such fluid itsqualities of flavor and digesti bility and to inhibit the growth ofundesir- What able bacteria without affecting its sweet quality, andthereupon placing the fluid therein and developingthe same to produce abacterial content to-the desired count per 0. c. and suflicient torestore to such fluid its qualities of flavor and digestibility and toinhibit the growth 'ofundesirable bacteria Without afi'ecting its. sweetquality, and

thereupon placing the fluid under conditions to inhibit furtherbacterial'growth or fermentation. v 1 4. In the processof preparing milkproducts for consumption, the process comprising adding a viableculture-of. the lactic acid 0 group of bacteria to a fluid milk productwhich is in a substantially sterile condition, to produce a bacterialcontent to the desired count per 0. c. and .suflicient to inhibitthegrowthof-undesirable bacteria without at fecting its sweet quality andsuflicient to restore to, such fluid its qualities of flavor anddigestibility, and thereupon maintaining said product under theconditions usually obtained in the milktrade for sweet milk.

Signed at Seattle, W hington, this 27th day of March; 1916. p

H-ILLT'IOUSE 'BUEL.

